Feb 12 1969
From The Space Library
Pentagon sources estimated U.S.S.R. was spending equivalent of $60 billion in 1969 on national defense and space efforts, while U.S. was spending $852 billion, of which $29 billion was for Vietnam war. Figures left U.S.S.R. $4 billion ahead of U.S. in spending on weapon and space technology. Between 1965 and 1969, Soviet spending on offensive and defensive strategic forces increased by 40% but amount spent on intercontinental missiles and surface-to-air missile defense systems rose by 75%. (Kelly, W Star, 2/12/69, D4)
Aerobee 150 sounding rocket launched by NASA from WSMR carried Naval Research Lab. payload to 116.8-mi (187.9-km) altitude to record photographically 18 EUV spectra of solar photosphere, chromosphere, and corona, using SPARCS and flight-design verification unit of high-resolution spectrograph planned for ATM-A and ATMBB. Rocket and instruments performed satisfactorily. (NASA Rpt SRL)
NASA launched Aerobee 150 sounding rocket from Churchill Research Range carrying Johns Hopkins Univ. payload to collect data on air-glow. Mission did not meet minimum scientific requirements. (NASA Proj Off)
During visit to West Berlin, Apollo 8 Astronaut Frank Borman drove past U.S.S.R.'s war memorial near Berlin wall and looked across wall into East Berlin. At Tempelhof airport Borman told press, "I was here before [during 1949 Berlin airlift] amid many bags of coal. There have been many space advances in the last two decades, yet we have so many troubles here on earth." (C Trib, 2/13/69)
MSFC announced it had issued $1,182,155 contract modification to Chrysler Corp. Space Div. for continued systems engineering and integration on Saturn IB launch vehicles. (MSFC Release 69-37)
USAF F-111A piloted by Capt. Robert Earl Jobe (USAF) and instructor pilot Capt. William D. Fuchlow (USAF) failed to return to Nellis AFB, Nev." after 750-mi training mission. USAF and Civil Air Patrol were searching area between Las Vegas, Nev." and Great Salt Lake. (UPI, W Star, 2/13/69, 1; AP, W Post, 2/14/69, A4)
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